The present invention relates to a composition for protecting a surface. In particular, the present invention relates to a composition for forming a water resistant and high gloss coat on a surface.
Soiled vehicle surfaces have been cleaned for many years using a variety of compositions and methods. Such compositions can be as simple as soap solutions or organic dish soaps or common all-purpose utility cleaners. In commercial or industrial vehicle cleaning operations, such as semi-automatic and completely automatic vehicle washes, a variety of cleaning systems have been used that often contain a pre-rinse or pre-cleaning step followed by a cleaning step using a low pH and/or high pH detergents and a combination of one or more steps using waxes, rinses, anti-rust agents, mechanical dryers, etc. Such vehicle cleaning operations can be embodied in a retail cleaning operation designed for cleaning vehicles by personal owners or by vehicle wash personnel.
When running a vehicle through a commercial vehicle cleaning wash, it is desirable to apply a wax after the vehicle has been washed in order to coat the vehicle with a protective film. The protective film is water resistant. The wax is typically applied to the vehicle by spraying the aqueous solution onto the vehicle at the end of the wash operation, rinsing the vehicle with water, and air blowing the excess water from the vehicle. The result is a hydrophobic surface that is formed on the surface of the vehicle.
A class of waxing composition commonly available includes a formulation comprising surfactants, solvents, and a wax to form a shiny hydrophobic surface. Silicones are very hydrophobic materials with a high refractive index that, when used in vehicle waxing compositions with other components such as nonionic detergents, will form a shiny surface over the vehicle. After a wash, the surface of the vehicle is left with a residual negative charge. This residual charge creates an electrostatic attraction to molecules with a tendency to accept electrons. Therefore, molecules containing quaternary amines will be attracted to the surface. If reactive protonated amino siloxanes are used in the formulation, they will be electrostatically attracted to the surface and will eventually polymerize, creating a hydrophobic film that rejects water and helps to retain gloss enhancing agents.